On October 29, Shorewood’s 27th annual Masterworks Concert took place at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, featuring SHS’s Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Choir, and Concert Choir, along with the Shorewood Choral Arts Society. The concert’s main featured piece was Requiem for the Living by Dan Forrest, which contrasts the choral works usually performed at Masterworks with its contemporary take on the Catholic mass for the dead. The concert was performed for an audience of about 400.
In preparation for the event, students from each ensemble auditioned for the concert after practicing during regular class periods since the start of the school year. As the concert neared, students were asked to dedicate extra time, practicing during lunch and rehearsing together outside of school in the final week. To fill in instrumental parts and to strengthen the overall performance, professional musicians and SHS alumni, including Martha Hellerman and Sawyer Randall, joined the ensemble.
Karen Frink, orchestra director, and Jason Clark, choir director, both actively participated in the concert.
“Ms. Frink joined the chorus for part of [the requiem] and then I also sang a [tenor] solo,” Clark said.
Frink, who teaches string, symphony, and chamber orchestra classes, shared her appreciation for Shorewood’s orchestra program.
“It’s a unique experience; it’s not something that every high school is able to do,” Frink said.
Both Frink and Clark started teaching at Shorewood 28 years ago and began the Masterworks tradition soon after. Frink acknowledged the seasonal ambiance of this year’s performance.
“I think the kids liked the vibe,” said Frink. “It was very peaceful and it was perfect for this time of year.”
As orchestra director, Frink most enjoyed leading the string-only piece Holberg Suite by Edvard Grieg.
Clark, who directs the middle school and high school choir along with the community choir, said that one of his favorite pieces performed was “The Forest,” in which the high school choir participated. He commented on the relevance of this piece with current events.
“It was a pretty emotional piece as well, and having that text at a time when people are feeling kind of anxious with the election and with the world in the present state [felt meaningful],” Clark said.
The concert included performers ranging from age 14 to 80, which Clark felt was a welcome addition for many community members.
“Many of the adults appreciated having that opportunity to collaborate with younger people,” Clark said. “It’s a nice opportunity to bring our community together in a way that’s different from other places.”
Alice Drummond, SHS senior and Chamber Choir singer, sang as an alto and performed a duet with fellow senior and soprano Masha Malinkine. Drummond acknowledged that this concert was special because it challenged the performers to interact with a larger ensemble.
“Our general sound was also pretty good considering we were singing with instruments that we don’t normally perform with and we had almost double the size of our normal choir,” Drummond said.
Other students, like Drummond, had solos or duets, giving them the opportunity to showcase their individual talents. Dana Kim, SHS senior and concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra, had a duet with senior Violet Lucier, principal viola.
“I liked the entire orchestra-only piece, specifically the “Air” movement,” Kim said.